Fernweh
by NeniioN
Summary: Fernweh: a crave to travel; being homesick for a place you've never been.


Today is April 15th, 2018. The story you, whoever you are, will be reading however takes place several years ago and begins when I was eighteen years old. To be frank, I am not quite sure why I chose to tell my story now. A couple of days ago, I found my old journals from when I went on my very first travels again. This will be a retelling of the events described in those journals. What you decide to do with them I leave entirely up to you. You may use them as a source of information, maybe let them inspire you, or read them solely for the purpose of entertainment.

As I write this, Buttercup hoists himself up by the armrest of my chair and presses his nose against my hand. Maybe he knows what I'm writing about, I can't be sure. His blue eyes, as lively as they may be, can still not convey as much as I wished they could.

Oh, but of course. You don't know Buttercup yet. He is one of my dearest friends, and I promise you will get to know him fully, as will you everyone else.

My name is Lucy Quinn Fabray, and this is the story of how I came to be me.

* * *

_Entry No.1 - Lima_

Summer had started. Not the calendar summer, but the summer people _feel_. It had been hot for over a week now, the air sizzling above the pavement with heat. The floor I was lying on, on the other hand, was cool. Next to me lay Brittany. After the walk over to Santana's house we had both had gotten completely enough of the heat and sought refuge on the cold wooden floor. I had found closing my eyes also helped to shut out the heat. Footsteps resounded through the room. Bare feet on wood. They stopped maybe a meter away from my head. I could hear glass making contact with wood.

"Get off the fucking floor, you're sweating all over it." She was only talking to me. Brittany could do anything in this house. I grumbled, frowned and stayed exactly where I was. A toe poked me in the ribs.

"Get off the fucking floor."

I did not react.

"I swear to god I will go get Cali."

My eyes flew open and connected with hers. "You wouldn't."

She stared back unwavering. "Watch me." Santana then started walking away from me. I followed her retreating form with my eyes until she was no longer in sight. After a few seconds of nothing I dropped my head back down.

"She's not kidding, you know, Q," Brittany murmured next to me.

"She wouldn't dare," I sighed back.

"Don't say I didn't warn you."

The both of us fell back into the relaxed state we had been in before Santana came in and so rudely interrupted our peace. I felt the wood beneath me get warmer from my body heat, so I moved thirty centimeters to my right. The wood there was still cold. Another content sigh escaped me. Sadly enough, it was blown right back into my face, only hotter than it had been before. I rolled over, away from the heat source, and frowned to myself. What in the world?

The heat didn't leave. It was like it was following me. Now that I'd moved away from it, a radiating warmth was constantly washing over my back, slowly heating up my body. Suddenly I realized what was going on and my eyes flew open. Excited brown eyes looked straight back into mine. As it breathed out my face was drowned in hot, hot air.

I shot up straight, pushing back the warm canine with both hands before belting out, "Santana, you bitch! She's a fire type!"

"I know she's a fire type, smartass. That's why I sent her." In the door opening, Santana was leaning against the doorframe, a smug grin on her face. There certainly was no apology coming from her. Huffing, I turned back to look at the dark furred animal that was still eyeing me with barely contained excitement, its bum swaying a bit as it wagged its almost non-existent tail. Letting a smile break through I reached out and brushed the soft fur on its cheeks. I could feel its body heat seeping into my body from where I touched it. The dog-like creature plopped down on its butt before laying itself down, its back along the length of my left leg. Cali rolled on her back slightly, exposing her stomach for me to pet. My smile growing wider I scratched her ribcage.

"Yeah, yeah," I muttered, "You're forgiven."

Behind me, Santana sat down on the couch. She looked at Cali and me for a while before speaking. "You know, for someone without any pokémon of your own, you seem rather fond of them."

My jaw set slightly as I looked at the young houndour under the palm on my hand. "It's not like I'm calling the shots there," I told her, "You know I would have left this town long ago if they let me." I put at much disdain in 'this town' as I possibly could. Because 'this town' I lived in, Lima, was absolutely worthless. It was a town probably even smaller than Odale Town, so that was saying a lot. Lima was a town positioned right in the middle of the empty square between Odale, Petalburg, Rusboro and Verdanturf. There were practically no direct roads between Lima and any other city. Well, there were no roads that were guaranteed pokémon free, and seeing as almost no-one in this town owned pokémon, going out of town was a bit difficult. Inside of Lima, the wild pokémon didn't pose a problem at all. We had established our territory, and so had the pokémon, so we both left each other alone and that was the end of it. Only a few people in Lima actually owned a pet pokémon, Santana being one of them.

Santana scoffed at me. "If you really want to get out of town that bad, just go. Aren't you the one always saying that if you want something hard enough, and try hard enough, anything is possible?"

"No, Santana," Brittany now spoke up from the floor, "That's Rachel."

My eyes flitted to the still figure on the wood about a meter away from me. Rachel. Obnoxious Rachel. 'Gold star' Rachel. 'One day I'm going to be standing at the Grand Festival' Rachel. God, how that girl annoyed me. All she did was bark, but she never actually _did_ anything; she had no bite. Day in day out we had to listen to her telling everyone how one day she would win the Grand Festival and, with her new title as top-coordinator, go to Unova to star in the musicals in Nimbasa. How she would get out of here, how she was destined for great things. It made my stomach churn. However, just like everyone in this town, she was stuck here. She didn't have a pokémon either, and with that, no way to leave this town.

"Yes I know that, but Quinn does as well." Santana's speaking pulled me out of my pensive state. "During her pep talks before a competition, she always tells us not to give in to our own limits, isn't that right, _captain_?" The way she put such emphasis on the word 'captain' gave away her ridiculing me.

I sighed and gave Cali a few final pats on her stomach. "That's not the point here, Santana." I said, my head dropping on the couch behind me. I didn't want to talk about it, since it would only mean it'd be stating the painful truth once again, and with no way to solve it, I'd rather forget about it than repeat it over and over again.

Santana, however, did not agree with me on that. Not that day, nor any of the days that followed. She wanted an answer from me, and she was determined to get one. Being in the middle of class was no reason to her to stop her from interrogating me on the matter. When we weren't in direct proximity of one another, she would call me or text me. After three days of this constant annoyance I finally snapped at her. We had just finished school and exited the school building. In the middle of the sidewalk I spun around and stopped Santana mid-step.

"Don't you _get it_, Santana? All around Lima, there are wild pokémon. Without a pokémon of my own, there is no way I can leave this town without seriously endangering myself. Oh, but you can get a starter pokémon from Professor Birch, I hear you say? No, I _can't. _Because you know why? Because Professor Birch doesn't leave Littleroot to hand out starter pokémon. The whole point is to go there yourself. You see the paradox here? Because I sure do."

I stood facing Santana, my breath slightly heavy. My eyes pierced hers, but she seemed wholly unimpressed. After tch-ing dismissively I turned away from her and started walking back home. On my right, a slight movement caught my attention. Irritated I looked over to see what it was.

Rachel. She was staring at me, a strange kind of amazement in her eyes. She had probably heard the entire conversation. Nevertheless I hissed at her, "_What._"

She flinched slightly and looked down at her shoes. "Nothing," she murmured, just loud enough for me to hear. I rolled my eyes at her and continued walking.

For as long as I can remember I've wanted to travel the world of pokémon _with_ pokémon. I dreamt of watching the sky in Sootopolis City, standing on the Seafoam Islands and visiting the 'golden' city in Kanto, all of them places that required pokémon for me to visit. The morning of my tenth birthdayI woke at five, so excited for the possibility that I would be able to see all the wonders of this vast world that I simply could not stay still. However, I was greatly disappointed that day. Instead of allowing me to go to Professor Birch, my parents gave me yet another book, this time about the Sinnoh legends. When I asked them why they wouldn't let me start a journey of my own they simply replied that they found it too dangerous and thought I was not to leave Lima, since the cons outweighed the pro's.

This day, the day that my parents in one smooth move crushed my dreams, was a little over eight years ago from my outburst against Santana. I was still stuck in Lime, with no way of leaving. I had just finished highschool. Years of people teaching me about a world I lived right in the middle of, yet had never truly seen. The reason I had been at school at all on the day of my outburst was to return all the loaned books that were required for those years of theoretical education. Mine were returned almost untouched, since everything they could tell me I had taught myself long ago. Needless to say I passed everything they threw at me with flying colours. Now that I wasn't to travel the world in a way I wanted to I had set my sights on joining the Devon Cooperation. I'd heard they were planning on going overseas with their products, providing me with another way to Leave Lima and possibly even Hoenn. Plus I'd heard they payed their employees rather well. I had sent in my application for one of their three year study courses a few weeks ago along with my resume. With my grades it was pretty much certain they would enroll me, so it was just a matter of time before the envelope with my acceptance would find its way to me.

Now that school had ended I spent my time mostly in my room, reading and waiting for Devon's reply. I was anxious and impatient to receive it since it would take away my parents' last excuse to keep me in Lima. That letter would be my way out and _God_ was I ready to get out. It took one week until I heard my mother call me downstairs during a time that was neither lunch-, tea- or dinnertime. The speed with which I bounded down the stairs was nothing short of pokéathlon worthy. Upon arriving downstairs however I found a man sitting on our couch whom I had never seen before, and yet I knew exactly who he was.

Leroy Berry, father of Rachel Berry. _A_ father of Rachel Berry. Everyone in Lima knew that Rachel Berry had two fathers, and I don't think anyone liked it any less than my father did. To see him sitting on your couch was something I never could have imagined happening.

I froze in the doorway and searched the room for my father. Surely he wouldn't agree with this. But my father was nowhere in sight. Looking at the clock this didn't surprise me: he got out of work at half past five, and it was only three.

"Sit down, Quinn," my mother told me, "Mr Berry says he has something to discuss with you." As I did as I was told my mind was reeling. What could he possibly have to discuss with me? I knew I hadn't been very kind to his daughter these past few years, but was he seriously only coming to tell me off about it now that school had ended? Such irresponsible parenting. Also, how did he even get in here? I could have sworn the bell didn't ring. Our bell never rung, so when it did, everyone was aware of it.

"Hello, Quinn," Leroy Berry then spoke up, his voice low and confident, "I don't believe we've met. I am Leroy Berry, Rachel's father. A little while ago Rachel came to Hiram and me about something she'd heard you say. I had been planning to talk to you about it, so when I ran into your mother at the mart I asked her if I could have a word with you, and since she so very kindly agreed, here I am." What was he, psychic?

"I'm very sorry, sir, but I must say that I have no idea as to what it is you're referring to."

The man merely smiled at me, picked up a bag I hadn't seen before and set it in front of him on the coffee table. My mother eyed it nervously.

"About a week ago, my daughter told me she had heard you talking about wanting to start a journey. As you probably know, it has been my daugher's dream to become a top coordinator and to star in the musicals in Nimbasa City. In order to achieve this, Rachel would be required to leave Lima, acquire a pokémon of her own and grow strong enough to reach Unova. We, her father and I, did not deem Rachel capable of doing such a thing eight years ago and thus kept her under our care in Lima. We hoped that she would accommodate her dream since it didn't seem like it was a realistic one. Until this day, her dream has not changed, and neither has our opinion that Rachel isn't fit to simply leave Lima and chase her dreams.

"However, I believe we may have found a solution to this problem." As he finished his sentence, the look in his eyes suddenly turned meaningful. He could not possibly -

"He have heard a lot about you, Quinn. We know that you scored exceptionally well on as good as every subject and that you are determined and realistic. Hiram and I believe you may have that it takes to keep our daughter's head out of the clouds and enable her to reach her goals." He was. He so totally was.

Leroy Berry leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees. He folded his hands together and looked at me as the epitome of seriousness. "In this bag is a pokéball. Rachel has a family member in Kanto who runs a daycare and who was able to come up with a way to get the two of you a pokémon to get you started. Inside this pokéball is a pokémon that hatched from one of two eggs that were left at that daycare. We are willing to give it to you if you decide to accompany Rachel on her journey. We know that you and Rachel don't exactly see eye to eye, but after a vivid reenactment of your performance we believed that this opportunity would be enough to help you get past your diff-"

"_I'LL DO IT!"_ I never let him finish his sentence, but etiquette be damned. This man had just singlehandedly made my dream a reality. He could have asked me to go with Jacob Ben Israel and I would have said yes. Leroy Berry smiled approvingly and nodded. I was about to reach for the bag when he picked it up and swung it over his shoulder.

"In that case," he said as he turned to leave, "I expect to see you in two days. That way you'll still have time to sort anything that needs sorting out. Come by out house at ten in the morning. Hiram and I have more to explain to you before you leave." He then thanked my mother for her hospitality and the delicious tea and left, leaving both my mother and I in stunned silence.

My mother had been caught so unprepared she had not yet uttered a single word of protest, something I was certain she had. I myself was in a state of complete and utter euphoria. I would be going out of Lima in two days. _Two days!_ That was nothing!

When I saw my mother turn toward me with a determined glint in her eyes I knew I was about to get told that I simply _couldn't_ leave, so I ran upstairs to my room before she could actually say anything. Once there I took my phone and climb out of the window and down the wooden frame that assisted the young plants in growing up our house. I knew that my mother would not stop wanting to tell me about her disagreement just because I escaped the first wave by fleeing the scene, so there was no way I was staying put.

As soon as my feet hit the ground I ran for the street and took out my phone. I blindly was able to type out a message for Santana: _'Something just went down, you wouldn't believe. Meet me in ten.' _We had a spot on the bleachers behind the school building, but on the schoolgrounds. The hole in the fence through which we got onto them we had found several years ago. Whenever we had to urgently meet somewhere, that was the place, since it was almost right in between our houses.

Just like planned, she arrived at almost the same time as I did. She was barely out of breath, as was I, since we had both joined the cheerleading team that performed during the halftime breaks of human sportsgames (us pokéless people needed at least _some_ form of entertainment). The thorough practices kept us in shape, something I am until this day very grateful for. I watched her as she climbed the bleachers, her face pulled in a frown that was a clear mixture of irritated, impatient and worried.

"What is it? Why'd you call me out here out of nowhere?" Her voice mirrored her face perfectly. I'm certain my eyes still shone with uncontrollable excitement as I answered her.

"I'm getting out of Lima." Santana frowned deeper at me, not understanding.

"Yeah, I know. You're going to Devon, to Rusboro."

I shook my head hard enough to create a slight dizziness. "I'm going on a journey. I won't be going to Devon, but to Ever Grande City." Apart from her eyes widening slightly, Santana's face remained rather stoic. When she spoke her voice was a little raspier than before.

"How? Did your parents finally get you a starter?" I shook my head even harder this time, not really believing who had come to my rescue.

"Rachel's _fathers_. They're willing to give me a pokémon so that I can leave as long as I help Rachel survive out there!" At the mention of Rachel's name a frown reappeared on Santana's face.

"You're going to have to get out there with _Berry_ of all people?" she asked disbelieving, "Why would you say yes to that? I can't even stand to be in the same classroom as her for more than one hour. How do you plan on spending months, and I mean literal _months_ alone with her?"

I shrugged. I'd figure something out. Surely I'd get used to her longwinded ramblings and overly excessive vocabulary. Unless-

"Come with us."

It was the perfect solution. I wouldn't have to be stuck with a girl that made my skin itch when I even knew she was near me, and having known Santana for as long as I could remember I knew that she wanted to come with me. Whenever I buried myself in books about the world and the history of pokémon Santana was always with me.

Despite her nonchalant attitude towards school, I knew her well enough to understand how she scored grades and high as she had. It wasn't because she studied very hard, but because she was truly, genuinely interested. We were the same, she and I. But Santana laughed off my suggestion like it was nothing.

"And how do you plan on getting that done? Just like you used to, I don't have a pokémon to go outside of Lima with. And I don't see the berries coming to my rescue any time soon."

"You have Cali."

Again she started laughing at me like I'd said the most ridiculous thing she'd ever heard. I hated it when she did that. "Cali is a _pet_. She isn't fit for the outdoors! I don't even think she knows any attacks!"

Now it was my time to laugh a her, only I didn't cackle like she did. I never really did cackle. Instead I grinned at her knowingly. Both she and I were fully aware that even the weakest pokémon knew at least one move. Every pokémon, straight after hatching, knows one or two moves, like instinct. I knew this, which in turn meant that she knew it.

And it showed. I could see in her eyes the knowledge that her last argument was per definition an invalid one. The warm buzz of victory settled in my stomach. Looking at her face I decided that the best course of action at this time was to let her keep to herself. As I walked past her I told her the time and place of my leaving, then asked her to rethink her decision. There was not a doubt on my mind that I would see her again within my remaining time in Lima.

Like I had expected, my mother had an entire speech prepared in the time I had been away. As soon as I got home she bombarded me with reasons why I shouldn't go. Most of them were based on money and general luxury problems, things I had grown up with, but cared fairly little for. When I told her so she gasped as if I'd just offended her personally and seethed that 'Russell would hear of this' and that 'he would never allow such a thing to happen'. I simply couldn't suppress the mocking laugh with which I told her that since I has eighteen years old, I was a lawful adult, which meant that Russell and she had nothing on me anymore. I hadn't left before because I couldn't, but not that this opportunity had arisen there was no way I wasn't taking it. When my mother gave no reply I continued making my way upstairs and started taking care of my affairs.

I made sure to empty my savings account onto my regular one. After all, this had been the purpose of my savings to begin with. Not a cozy apartment or security in times of need, I had been saving money for my travels. And now was the time to use it. When I'd just started sorting out what could come with and what had to stay home my door opened, revealing my omnious looking father. My mother had told him what had happened that afternoon and judging by his thunderous face she hadn't kept quiet about my not so very grateful remarks either.

I knew there was no possible way of reasoning with my father now that he was like this, so I listened to his scolding with a remorseful face and apologised for my behaviour when he asked for it. He probably thought that my apology also included a promise of me not going out on my travels, because he left it at that and stomped downstairs to have a glass of brandy. I wouldn't be the one to tell him that my apologies held no such promise. I'd rather leave without them knowing than risk my father going over to the Berrys' and call everything off. I had no way of telling how resilient they would be to my father's escapades.

Dinner that evening was quiet. My mother made a couple of valiant attempts to start a conversation, but they all quickly got shot down by a short and final reply from my father. He had definitely had a glass too many before dinner. The sad part was that this wasn't even an exception to the rule. My father loved a good brandy after work, and more often than not ended up pouring himself just a couple of drinks more than was good for him. It wasn't something I'd miss.

The entire following day consisted mostly of me canceling all plans I had previously made. This included sending Devon a letter explaining my situation and thus the withdrawal of my application. All the preparations I made for my leaving I had to do in secret. My bag I laid under my bed the evening before my leaving. Inside it I had stuffed three outfits: a sundress, a nice and cool outfit that was easy to move in consisting of a pair of shorts, two tank tops I could layer over each other or wear separately and a zip up sweater and one outfit for colder weather. The last one was one I probably wouldn't need at all, since Hoenn was a nearly tropical region, but I didn't want to take any chances. Better safe than sorry, I reckoned.

Also in the bag was my swimsuit and a small but efficient toilet bag with everything in it I could think of needing. Hanging underneath it, held together my two straps, was my sleeping bag. I'd left several pockets open because I knew I would be needing the space for items like pokéballs, medicine and food. At ten to twelve I did a final check, concluded that I had everything packed and climbed in bed.

Naturally I hardly slept at all. My brain was on a fictional rampage, throwing idea after idea at me about what could happen, what wonders I'd see, what pokémon I'd meet. Would I even be any good at all? What if my pokémon hated me? What if I lost battle after battle? What if I got lost? But what if nothing like that happened? What if my pokémon loved me back, if I won, even climbed my way up to Ever Grande City? It would be glorious. The best thing that ever could have happened to me.

The next morning I woke to the sound of my father's car leaving the driveway. This meant that it was half past eight in the morning, an even better time that I had set my alarm to. I'd set it on nine, deeming myself unable to get out of bed any earlier than that. Despite my excitement for that day, I was still a heavy sleeper. I leisurely got dressed. A white sundress with a yellow cardigan, ankle-high sock and comfortable brown shoes. I may have been going on a journey, but that was no excuse to drop every sense of style. Plus, it was easy to move in and airy, perfect for the climate around these parts.

When I made my way downstair to have breakfast I left my bag upstairs. I knew that bringing it with me would only rouse suspicion, which in turn would cause my mother to watch me like a fearrow for the rest of the day. If I managed to get through this breakfast inconspicuously I'd be able to get outside and reach the Berrys. That would be my mission. Baby steps.

Upon my arriving downstairs my mother's head instantly shot up from her doing the dishes and I ignored her as I strutted down to the kitchen island, where I plopped down on one of the stools to grab myself a slice of bread. I could feel the tension rising. She was about to very awkwardly and unsubtly ask me about my plans for leaving today.

"So, Quinnie," there it was. Quinnie. That horrible name she called me when she wanted something from me, "About that thing with the Berry child, are you still planning on going?" Well, unsubtly was right.

I shook my head as I chewed on my breakfast, swallowing before I answered her. "No," I replied, "I thought about it again, and I really don't think I want to be stuck with Rachel all that time. I'm sure she's nice once you get to know her, but I don't rely even want to get to know her. Judging by her fathers I doubt any good can come from being around her. Plus, joining Devon is much more secure an option. I'm sure to get a good education and job there, whereas going with Rachel has far more and greater risks. I'm not going. Well, I'll probably stop my to tell them I've changed my mind. I suppose that's the correct thing to do."

I could see her eyes starting to shine with victorious glee. It was just too easy. I almost felt bad for being able to fool her so easily. She would surely spend the rest of the day wholeheartedly believing she'd _saved _me, only to find out that evening that I didn't come home for dinner, and wouldn't for quite some time.

Possibly most confusing of all was that I felt I wouldn't miss them at all. They had raised me and nurtured me until this day and for that I would be forever grateful. However, my parents were still narrow-minded people. They had ideals and opinions on the world that I simply couldn't agree with, because I didn't see the logic in them. The ease and irrevocability with which they formed their opinions on people was something I despised. I believed that everyone deserved to be given a chance to prove themselves. Looking back on it now, I realise I was just like them.

The rest of breakfast went by uneventful. My mother had got her answer, one she deemed a good one, and thus lost interest. She kept to herself and the dishes in the remaining time I sat downstairs. This was a good thing, since it meant that she was comfortable enough to not pay attention to me.

Now was the time.

I set my dishes next to the sink and made my way upstairs. By now it was fifteen past nine. Not willing to take any chances I didn't take the front door when I left. Instead I dropped my bag to the ground below my window as softly as I could manage and climbed my way down to the grass, just like I had two days ago. When I passed the windows to the living room on my way to the garden I took a moment to think of how strange this entire situation was. A child shouldn't have to sneak their way out of their custodial house in order to go travel the world. Such a thing ought to involve hugging, crying, a ton of good luck wished and possible even an short speech about how much the person leaving would be missed. It made me sad to realise none of that was something I'd be receiving. No support from loved ones. But then again, it didn't really fit my family at all, so maybe this was for the best.

I remember nodding one time at the silhouette of my mother in a silent thank you and goodbye before turning and leaving her behind. As soon as I stepped out on the street I felt freed. Strange, how quickly and all enveloping such a sensation can come and fill a person. I hadn't walked a hundred feet when my phone chimed, indicating I had received a message. For a split second I was afraid it'd be my mother, telling me to get back home. If that were the case, I had failed to execute my foolproof plan; had failed to convince my mother that there was no danger. If that were the case, I would be stuck after all.

But it wasn't. It was Santana. She had sent me a single sentence, a sentence that made me smile. _'Wait for me.'_ She was on board. This trip was going to be amazing.

It was a little under half an hour walk to the Berry house. Lima may have been a small town, but it stretched rather far for the number of its inhabitants. At that time I remember feeling disturbed for some reason knowing where the Berrys lived. They were somewhat of an outcast family, with Rachel's fathers being homosexuals, so everyone in Lima tried to stay clear of them. But in a town with a population as tiny as Lima's, everyone knew everyone, and there literally was no place to hide. Especially people generally considered outcasts were practically out in the open wherever they went, because they were a loved topic of conversation for those who liked to talk about others. Thus, everyone knew where they lived, what they did for a living and where they went on their holidays. It was disgusting.

They had a nice home, the right one of two under one roof, with a small garden and their front door on a wooden porch that required four steps to get on. A decent gravel path lead to those steps, a small artificial pond on the left side of it. If Lima had been a town where pokémon lived there would have been poliwag inside of it. From the outside no-one would ever have said _strange_ and unnatural people lived in there. But, like my parents had so wisely taught me, never judge a book by its cover.

I'd stood in front of the house that made me feel so conflicted inside for a few seconds longer than would have been considered normal when the door opened, revealing the Mr Berry I hadn't seen yet. He was taller than Leroy, thinner also. On his sharp nose rested subtle glasses. He was a well dressed man and he smiled at me encouragingly. "Come on in, we don't bite." I lifted my eyebrows at his comment, one I thought was somehow slightly inappropriate for an opening line to a stranger, but stepped onto the gravel and made my way to the porch. As I reached the door opening he stepped to the side, holding open the door for me.

It felt like I was entering a place I should be careful in with everything my parents and their acquaintances had told me about the Berrys and how their way of life was an abomination, so before entering I glanced down the hallway. Apparently mistaking my hesitating for insecurity, Hiram pointed to a door on the left side of the hallway.

"Leroy and Rachel are in there. Do you want anything to drink? Some lemonade, soda?" I only momentarily took my eyes off the hallway to look at Hiram who was still smiling down at me. There was a steady nervous tingling on the back of my neck, one I figured only was a good thing. It kept me on guard.

"A lemonade, if you wouldn't mind, please," I answered him before stepping into the house. He softly closed the door behind me and brushed past me on his way to the kitchen. Before disappearing around the corner he threw a glance over his shoulder and motioned his head to the door again.

"Go in there, I'll be with you in just a minute."

I nodded and made my way to the door he so clearly wanted me to go through. On my way there I noticed the wall of photographs. Most of them were of Rachel. Rachel alone, Rachel with father 1, Rachel with father 2, Rachel with both fathers, Rachel with a woman I had never seen before and didn't have a clue of who she was. It made me frown, so much her fathers seemed to love their daughter. It also made me sad.

Upon entering the room I was met by a uncharacteristically timid Rachel and her father. Rachel was seated on the couch, her father on a chair across from her. In between them was a table. The entire setting had a strangely formal and serious atmosphere for the coziness the rest of the room was emanating. Leroy motioned for me to take place on the couch next to Rachel. "Please, sit down. We only have a few more things to explain to you and then you can be on your way."

I did as I was told. When I sat down on the other end of the couch I saw Rachel flinch from the corner of my eye. Did I frighten her? That could even be a good thing. If I scared her, maybe she wouldn't be as loud and annoying as she was in class. I payed no further attention to her and instead focused on the bag standing on the table in between us and Leroy Berry. The Berrys apparently enjoyed keeping to traditions, for as far as you could call this a tradition. Hiram then entered the room again with a glass of brightly coloured lemonade, which he set in front of me on the table before sitting down on his own chair next to Leroy. They looked at each other before seemingly deciding it was time to start this… ritual of theirs.

Leroy was the first to speak. "I suppose the two of you have an idea of how the receiving of a starter pokémon usually goes. Beginning trainers are presented with three options, a water, fire and a grass type pokémon, one of which you are allowed to choose to start your journey with." Both Rachel and I nodded. I had fully familiarized myself with the ways a future trainer was introduced to their first pokémon.

"That is not how this will be going." I could see Rachel frown and, shaking her head slightly, sit back, a rather accurate mirror image of what I would have done had I not been caught so off guard. "As opposed to the usual state of business, we were not able to get the two of you true Hoenn starter pokémon, since the generous donator lives in Kanto. Sadly enough, considering the rarity of the Kanto starters, we weren't able to get the both of you any of those either." This was getting ridiculous. If they weren't going to give us any starters, why were we even here?

"We have, however, managed to get the both of you a worthy replacement." Hiram then reached into the bag and took out the two pokéballs it contained. At the sight of them I felt my chest constrict. This was my first time seeing a pokéball. The real thing, at least. I'd seen the pictures in books I'd read, but never before had I seen the actual thing. And now here it was, right in front of me. And the best part was it contained an actual pokémon. My hands were shaking.

As if he'd read my thoughts Hiram then gently shoved the balls toward Rachel and me. "Take them," he said, "They're yours now."

Inside I was screaming, combusting with joy. Outside I took the ball from the table with slightly shaking hands. Next to me I saw Rachel do the same. But her hands weren't shaking and she was faster with getting her hands on the ball than I was. Some of the excited lights had returned to her eyes, making her look more like the Rachel I was used to. Part of me was glad to see it, another part annoyed, because apparently the timid Rachel I'd seen just now wasn't a permanent one, which meant it was only a matter of time before she was back to her usual, loud self.

Before I could do anything with the ball in my hands Leroy spoke up again. "Both of you, please don't open them inside the house. I don't want to take the risk of having them destroy the place." Rachel opened her mouth to object in some way, but her father cut her of my lifting a hand. "No. No arguing. I know they're only weak pokémon, but even weak ones can wreck havoc on our house."

Hiram placed a hand on his shoulder and continued speaking. "Both of you were given an eevee as a starter pokémon. We believed they were suitable for the task since they still offer both of you a choice as to what type you have them be." He reached inside the bag again and took out two small pouches, both made of sturdy but light brown fabric. One of them had a gold star on it. "The both of you will be given three evolution stones to make that choice with. In either of these pouches is a fire stone, a water stone and a thunder stone. Naturally, the type of your pokémon will be determined by which of those stones you use on it. Remember that you can only use these stones once, so choose wisely."

"We, as well as the daycare in Kanto advise you to not instantly use the stones on your pokémon. Get to know them first, bond with them. Train, and think long and hard about which stone to use before you use it since the change will be permanent." I nodded at them, understanding the point they were trying to make wholeheartedly. I would definitely befriend my pokémon first, earn its trust before laying such a dramatic change on it. I didn't want to do so for both myself and the eve that was entrusted to me. It didn't feel right. Despite this, I was fully aware of the first gym in Rusboro City and the Stone Badge I was to claim. The type they used there wasn't hard to guess, and my mind had been made up as soon as Hiram had named the evolution stones in the pouches.

"Now," Leroy spoke up and clapped his hands together, "I believe you're all ready and set to go! Oh, one last thing. You will need to go to Littleroot town first to visit Professor Birch before you set out on your journey. We have already sent him a letter telling him of your arrival, so he will be expecting you. He will be the one to give you your pokédexes and trainer card. Those were things we were unable to get you since they require official admittance from one of the professors. Once you have those, you will be able to purchase pokéballs in marts and compete in gym battles and contests." He looked at his partner, silently asking him if there was anything he forgot to tell. When he replied with silence and a slight pulling down of the corners of his mouth he lay his eyes on us, Rachel and me, again and smiled brightly.

"That's it then!" he then exclaimed obviously at least as excited as I was, even though I let little of my jolly euphoria be seen. "You're all set! Let me just get my camera. Hiram, darling, make sure Quinn doesn't flee the house."

I froze. They were going to take pictures. Evidence. Not okay. I had to get out of there. But I felt my arm being grabbed before I could. Looking down I found Rachel being the one to keep me in place, her eyes vibrant with excitement again. Yeah, she definitely wasn't scared of me. She grinned up at me and I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand up straight. I hated it when people tried to infect me with their giddiness. I shook her off my arm as gently as I could before the shiver that was building up could run through my body. It wouldn't be a good start of my journey if I were to jerk away from my travel buddy with a face that could be interpreted as disgusted.

Leroy than came into the room again, digital camera in hand. "Ah," he said upon arriving, "Quinn is still here. Good job, Rachel. Come on, outside, all of you." This was turning from bad to worse. But there was no arguing with the generous hands that ushered me outside onto the porch. There, Leroy fiddled some with the camera before setting it on the little wooden fence surrounding the porch and hurrying back to the three of us. He grabbed Hiram and Rachel at their shoulders and positioned them until he was satisfied. After that he came to stand behind me and pulled me closer to the small group on the porch. Softly he placed a hand on my back and smiled at me.

"Thank you for going with Rachel. It means the world to her." He had lowered his volume so that I was the only one who could hear him. At first I wasn't sure if he'd said anything at all, but even if I hadn't been able to make out his words, there was no possible way I could have misinterpreted the look in his eyes. I watched as they filled up with tears ever so slightly before he blinked and looked away from me, into the camera. He then hugged Rachel close to him and beamed. Not a moment later there was a flash, drawing my attention back to the camera and the sound of a picture being taken. Hiram was the first to reach it. The stood quiet for a moment as he looked at the picture on the screen and then smiled.

"It's perfect."

"Let me see, let me see. I want to see." Rachel was completely back to normal and bounded after her father, poking her head in front of his chest to try and see the picture. Leroy was quick to follow. I stayed behind, feeling a bit out of place. They were a family, and I was merely a visitor. I did not belong here. Silently I watched as they huddled together, pointing at the little piece of technology and laughing until Hiram looked over at me and waved at me to come join them.

"Have a look, Quinn," he said, and I hesitated. They all saw it and Rachel took the camera from her father's hand. She walked over to me and stopped a meter short, eyeing me with curiosity and caution. Slowly a smile spread on her face and she held out the camera for me to look at. I took it from her. On the picture there were three people beaming like they had just won the lottery. Rachel's smile was the largest. On the left side of the group stood I, looking at the camera with a soft smile. It wasn't one I had been wearing for the picture, but one I had had as I watched Leroy after he had so softly spoken to me. The picture had been taken so shortly after the flash that whereas my eyes had already found the source, my smile had not yet fallen off my face.

My eyes found Leroy's and we exchanged a small smile. I wondered how such a gentle person could have produced such an obnoxious daughter.

"And?" said daughter then asked me, "How do you like it?" I shrugged at her in response.

"It's fine."

"Hey, Q-bone!" a new voice then called out from behind me and I swiveled around to see Santana and Brittany walking toward us. Walking alongside them was Cali, constantly looking around her and thus falling behind a little every now and then, after which she had to jog a little to catch up again. Santana as well as Brittany had a backpack swung over their shoulders. Before I could call back I heard a snort behind me, followed by a smack, "Ouch, Hiram!", "Don't laugh at our guest." and "But _Q-bone_, Hiram. Q-bone, Cubone, it's genius!".

I sighed. So sad everyone loved that nickname Santana had come up with so much. When I looked at her again, there was indeed a satisfied smirk on her face. I would never hear the end of it.

"So glad you could wait for us," Santana continued, dropping her bag onto the porch. Cali hopped on after her and started sniffing the house thoroughly. The fence on the porch, the bench on the porch, the front door, the wall leading to the front door, then she jumped off the porch again and started all over again underneath the thing. Dogs…

Brittany then joined us on the porch as well, her thumbs hooked behind the straps of her backpack. She was all ready and rearing to go, but I didn't even know she had been coming along. Santana caught my questioning glance and shrugged. "You didn't really think I would be leaving Britts behind, did you?"

"But she has no pokémon," I said timidly.

"Oh, I don't think that will be a problem!" Leroy spoke up again, "Since you're all going to Professor Birch in the first place, I think she should be able to get a starter there, don't you think so, Hiram?" His partner nodded.

Santana looked ad me triumphantly. "See? Problem solved." I rolled my eyes at her and Hiram stepped forward.

"So, I take it the two of you are tagging along then?"

Brittany nodded. "That would be correct, sir." Both the Mr Berrys gasped at this and dramatically placed a hand over their hearts.

"Please, don't call me _sir._ It makes me sound so old. I am Hiram, and this is Leroy. Do call us by our names."

"I don't think I'll be able to remember them, sir is a safer bet." The Berrymen's eyebrows rose at this and I swallowed back a laugh. Sometimes Brittany was too honest for her own good.

"Well," Leroy slowly said, shooting a glance at his partner, "In that case, you're free to call us whatever you like."

Brittany beamed up at them. "Thank you, sirs!" I saw Rachel's fathers smile at each other and subtly shake their heads. Santana smacked me on the arm.

"Ouch, what?" I asked her.

"Are you ready to go? Because I thought Brittbritt and I were late, but you're apparently going to have some tea or something. I want to get going, come on."

"Oh, give me a minute," Rachel spoke up again. I had completely forgotten she was there with us as well. "Let me just get my bag. It's still upstairs." Santana and I shrugged a little and Brittany chimed "Okay!", after which Rachel and her fathers disappeared inside the house. The three of us sat down on the steps to the porch to wait until she got back.

"So," Santana started, "How did you manage to get out of your house?"

I shrugged. "I kind of sneaked out," I told her. Brittany's eyes grew wide.

"No way, they didn't want you to leave?"

I shook my head at her. "My father got really angry the the evening Leroy had come to ask me if I wanted to come. He actually forbade me to go, so I had to get out here in secret."

"Didn't that make you feel guilty?" Brittany asked me and again I shook my head.

"No, not really… It wasn't that hard actually." I looked to Santana. "How about you? Were your parents okay with it?" She shrugged in response.

"Kind of. My father didn't really like it. He kind of got really mad after I told him and then stormed out of the house. But my mother was cool. She said he'd make his peace with it, but that he needed time. Something about him wanting the best for me." Santana's father had managed to get her a spot on a course for medicine. It was one of the best studies in Hoenn, were students were taught to eventually produce new medicine or general groundbreaking technology. People said that they would create the future. "But he was there this morning to say goodbye. There wasn't much to it, just some wise words and him telling me to be safe. My mother cried though. Asked me to visit every once in a while." She shrugged.

"The hard part was getting Brittany to come with me. Well, convincing her parents that she'd be okay. Luckily, when I told them I'd bring Cali and that both you and Rachel would be there, with pokémon of your own as well, they quickly said it was okay. They did ask me to prove to me that I'd be able to keep her safe, so I had to give a little demonstration with Cali." The three of us looked up to watch the canine now sniff several circles around the pond. "We got lucky with that. Apparently she knows ember and leer. They don't really strengthen each other, but they didn't know that. Plus, ember is a fire type move, so it's stronger for her than for other pokémon."

"She burnt down half of our back yard," Brittany whispered from my right. I turned to Santana with happy eyes and saw her turning a shade darker with shame.

"I didn't mean to! They were the ones telling me to 'aim for that shrubbery'!"

"You missed it by six feet or something." I laughed heartily as Santana turned away from the two of us. A couple of yards ahead, Cali barked once and came skipping over to us as if she knew we were talking about her. Brittany poked my right hand.

"What kind of did you get? Did you give it a name already?"

I looked at my right palm. Still inside of it was the pokéball the Berrymen had given me. I'd kept it tightly in my grasp all this time. "They got me an eevee," I said, "Apparently its type changes when it evolves."

Brittany gasped. "Wow, that's cool. And its name? Is it a boy or a girl?"

"I don't know."

A loud thunk from behind had us all turning around. In the door opening stood Rachel, a massive suitcase on wheels trailing behind her. For a moment I was shocked into silence. She could not possibly be wanting to bring that with her. But before I was able to voice my discontent, Santana already had.

"Oh, hell no. There is no way that thing is coming with us."

"But I need it!" Rachel huffed. In the mean time, I had found my voice again.

"Seriously, Rachel, what did you pack that needs such a gigantic suitcase? You can't travel with that thing!"

"I can! And I need everything that's inside it!" She defiantly crossed her arms in front of her chest. It infuriated me.

"What's inside it then?" Rachel leaned against the doorframe and started naming things, counting them off on her fingers.

"Two pajamas, a couple of shirts, four sweaters, five skirts, three pairs of shoes, toothbrush, toothpaste, my brush, hair products, shampoo, conditioner-" I interrupted her.

"Oh no, definitely not. Santana help me out with this. Brittany, go find Rachel a backpack from inside." The three of us quickly got up like a well oiled machine and Brittany quickly disappeared inside the house. Rachel could merely look at all of us in shock. Before she had recovered Santana and I had already opened the suitcase and were taking everything out one by one, sorting out what could come and what had to stay. When Rachel saw her products being set aside, life seemed to return to her.

"No!" she yelled, her eyes wide in horror, "You can't do that!" I sighed and closed my eyes for a moment. I then stood up straight and leveled her with a stare that left no room for arguing.

"You can take one of your pajamas, one pair of shoes and three outfits. Your styling iron is staying here, as are your shampoo and conditioner. Those are things we'll get on the road and we'll _share_. More than two thirds of what you packed will _stay_. _Here_. You get to pick what comes and what stays. Choose wisely." I saw her father appear behind her, apparently wondering what all the ruckus was about. "Hiram, back me up on this."

He glanced over his daughter's shoulder to the emptied suitcase on his porch and blinked slowly before taking a breath. "Well, darling," he started, "It is a bit much."

_"Thank you." _I told him exasperatedly. He nodded in acknowledgement. Brittany appeared with a bag in her hand and gave it to me. "This was the best I could find."

I looked at the backpack in my hand. It was still a tad large, but it would do. We could always buy a smaller one on the road. With finality I pressed the bag in Rachel's hands. "There you go," I told her, "Make it work." Rachel huffed, but crouched down next to her suitcase and started filling up her bag.

Ten to fifteen minutes later she, too, had finished packing everything. She had often shot me glares, informing me of the fact that she wasn't happy with me _at all_, which was absolutely fine by me. I wan't very happy with her either, but as long as she could be reasoned with I'd find a way to handle her. By now I understood completely what Leroy had meant when he had said that I 'might have what it takes to keep her head out of the clouds', because she sure needed a reality check every now and then.

Leroy had noticed we were about to finally leave and came out of the house again as well. As Santana, Brittany and I stood down on the gravel path again he and Hiram gave Rachel their final hugs and good luck charms. She was told to call whenever she could and take good care of herself. At some point her fathers looked at me as well and said, to both me and her, to "Keep at least one pokémon on your person at all times. The outdoors is no place for a person without the protection of a pokémon."

I promised them I would. Even Santana made sure they knew she'd heard them as well and before long we had turned our backs to house Berry and were approaching the border of Lima. The road on the way out of town rather abruptly turned from well tended to not so very well taken care of, as tiles no longer were part of the road here. Instead, the only indication of a path here was the fact that there grew no grass here. It was stripped bare of all human adjustments, merely a worn out, brown coloured dirt path leading into a forest.

As we stood on the edge of Lima, on the border between the life we knew and the new one, we all somehow fell quiet. The only sound reaching our eardrums was the wind blowing through the trees and the rustling of the grass. Whether this rustling was caused by the wind or wild pokémon we didn't know, and the thought alone was exhilarating. Even Cali had fallen silent, her ears upright on her head, eyes staring into the forest. When I looked at her I was reminded of the fact that I had a pokémon of my own. An eevee patiently waiting inside its ball for me to call it out. I figured now was the time to at last have this first meeting of ours.

"Just a minute, guys," I said as I took the ball from its pocket and enlarged it in my hand by pressing the button in the middle. "Before we leave, I think I need to do this first." I pointed the ball away from me, onto the ground, and as if it'd read my thoughts it opened with the most beautiful sound I had ever heard. There was a red flash and a beam of light and then I saw it. A small, brown animal with thick, lighter coloured mane around its neck. Its ears were long and thin, becoming broader in the middle and then ending in a sharp tip. Its tail was full and fluffy, with a tip the same colour as its mane. As I stared at the little animal in wonder, it stared right back at me with richly coloured brown eyes.

I bent my knees and lowered myself, balancing on my toes. It looked at me in silence, observing me, assessing me.

"Hello," I spoke softly and I saw something shift in its brown eyes. A second later it opened its mouth and chimed at me. It reminded me of a meow a little, starting a tone lower than it ended, a high-pitched noise, the sound of a baby animal whose vocal chords aren't yet adjusted to being used. It endeared me to no end.

Next to me, Brittany squatted down as well. "It's a boy," she told me. I had no idea how she had come to know this, but I would gladly take her word for it. Hesitantly, I held out my hand to the small animal and watched as it stood on its four legs and came walking over to me. It stopped a few inches short of me, apparently sniffing my hand. Again it let out a small sound, and my fingers twitched before I dared reach a little further to touch it. Somehow, it felt a bit magical, touching my very own pokémon for the first time.

Its fur was soft and smooth, its cheeks puffy and adorable. When I placed my palm on its cheek the eevee pressed back lightly, and I melted inside. It was such a small animal, its head fitting in the palm of my hand. I let my thumb glide over its ear, onto the little coif on top of its head. When I scratched its scalp, the pokémon seemed to purr a little. I smiled at it. I was completely sold.

"A boy, you said?" I asked, turning to face Brittany, who was still squatting beside me. She nodded and I took my hand from the little pokémon again, folding it in my lap next to my other one. The eevee took two steps toward me and sat down, watching me expectantly. I had already come up with a name for it. Him. It was a him.

"I'm Quinn," I told him, looking into his eyes again. He waited patiently. "Nice to meet you, Bass."

I could have sworn he smiled at me.

"Bass, huh?" Santana asked. I simply nodded, never taking my eyes of my newly found buddy. I heard her laugh silently. "I like it."

Another red flash shone from my right, and a moment later another little brown furred animal sat on the ground in front of me. Even though they looked exactly the same, there was absolutely no resemblance in behavior whatsoever. As soon as the eevee set eyes on Rachel, it seemed to recognize its trainer and leapt forward. Its personality fit Rachel's so perfectly it actually made me laugh. I imagined what could have happened if our pokéballs had been swapped, and instead of Bass, I had gotten this extravagant pokémon that was by now happily squeaking in Rachel's arms. It would have been tiresome.

"Yours is a girl, Rachel," Brittany spoke up. Seriously, she had to tell me how she did that. I locked eyes with Santana, who looked back at me and raised her eyebrows. Apparently she was at a loss here as well. I knew there were some pokémon where the male and female had distinctive features, but I couldn't see a difference between Rachel's eevee and mine at all. Rachel however didn't even seem to care about Brittany's ability to so instantly and certainly call a pokémon's gender as she hooked her thumbs under the furry animal's elbows and lifted it up. Both brunettes stared into each other's brown eyes with nothing but glee.

"Emma," Rachel then stated and Emma squeaked, approving. I rolled my eyes at them and looked at Bass. He looked at me with a rather similar expression in his eyes. It made me grin. We were going to be great friends. I rose again from my spot on the ground and turned my attention to the forest again. I'd almost forgotten it was there. As soon as my three companions noticed what I was looking at they fell silent again. Even Emma did. Bass walked half a circle around me and stood on my right side, his tail softly brushing my ankle. It felt strangely comforting.

From the corner of my eye I could see Cali eyeing the two new pokémon with curiosity. There was something like euphoria in her eyes. To my left, Santana sighed.

"Come on," she said, "Let's get this over with." And she stepped into the first line of bushes that set apart the wilderness from the only world I'd ever known. Brittany was quick to follow, and after that Rachel as well. There was no way I was staying behind now. One last time I looked behind me, to the orderly houses of Lima, and then I left it behind.

* * *

Dex No. 133 - Eevee  
Name Bass  
Type Normal  
Trainer Quinn F.

Timid nature.  
Jun. 21, 2012  
Lima  
Met at Lv. 5

Strong willed.

* * *

Dex No. 133 - Eevee  
Name Emma  
Type Normal  
Trainer Rachel B.

Adamant nature.  
Jun. 21, 2012  
Lima  
Met at Lv.5

Somewhat stubborn.

* * *

Dex No. 228 - Houndour  
Name Cali  
Type Dark / Fire  
Trainer Santana L.

Naive nature.  
Jul. 22, 2010  
Lima  
Met at Lv.1

Likes to run.

* * *

_About the pokémon:_

_Bass. Inspired by both the fish, the instrument (subtle and supportive, yet severely missed once removed), and the glorious sidekick Sebastian from The Little Mermaid. Pronounced as the 'bas' from Se**bas**tian. [seriously, not like the bass from bass guitar]_

_Emma. Little alteration of the Emmy award._

_Cali. From 'caliente'. A suggestion from a friend on tumblr. I'm told it means 'hot' in Spanish, which I found both fitting for the houndour as a fire type and Santana as a person._

* * *

_**[the segment above will be a reoccurring thing. I plan on introducing every new pokémon in either of the four teams like this; with both a summary from the game and a little segment about their names and why I chose those for them]**  
If you have any questions whatsoever, please don't hesitate to ask me. Whether they're about the storyline, pokémon, characters or map placements, I'd be happy to answer you. I have a lot more planned for these four, and I'm sure to continue this story. Do know that I don't plan for this story to be about either Quinn or Rachel pining over the other. As is possible to tell from the title, this work of fiction will be about the journey more than about the romance. Note this if you plan to follow this story.  
People who already know me from Tearing Down The Walls will sadly be aware that my update schedule is rather chaotic. There will be no promises of updates within a certain time span, since chances are I simply won't make it. I will promise you an update though. When it is to arrive however I can not tell you. I truly do hope this will not scare anyone away, since I'd love for all of you to go on this little journey with me._

_For the people that are reading TDTW: Forgive me for uploading this before updating Tearing Down The Walls. I was planning to update before throwing this newborn into the world, but believe me when I say that I am working on it, I have been for months, but for some reason, all that's coming out is crap. It's terrible. I wrote this during summer break, and it's been sitting on my computer for MONTHS and I simply couldn't stand it anymore. Please don't think that I'm neglecting TDTW for this.^^'_


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